Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne

"Max Payne is back, and better than ever!"

Max Payne. The computer game released a couple years back that set a mark in the future of gaming, with the amazing feature we all call Bullet Time, in which Max can slow stuff down to the point where you see the bullets fly by (hence, the name, Bullet Time), and you can do slow motion dives and stuff. Without it, the first Payne wouldn't've been as good as it was. Now Max Payne 2 brings it back, and once again it's what makes the game what it is.

Gameplay: 9/10
It's your typical action game, with lots of stuff dying (mostly people), and bullets whizzing by. The Bullet Time is what makes this game special though, like it's predecessor. The only issue I have is that, once again, like before, there's a loading screen every 15 minutes (if not sooner). This can really get annoying, cuz it takes about 30 seconds for it to load up. Besides that, it's all good.

Graphics: 7/10
This is probably the only faltering point of this game. While they are good and all, Hitman 2, which has been out for a while now, totally blows Payne off the charts, which as far as I can tell, should be the other way around. While it's nice to see all sorts of cool little details (bullets, shells, blood, and other things fly quite realistically, and look good while doing it), and just about everything Payne's size or smaller can be knocked around. But that's not really graphical stuff... The main issue is that Payne isn't what it could be in the graphics department, but just cuz it's not up there with other games doesn't mean it's bad. It's just not perfect.

Sound: 8/10
Great sounds, great music that fits the mood, great voice acting, etc. The only problem: Every guard emitts the same scream when they die. Either that, or my copy is just wierd...

Controls: 10/10
Perfect. Both sticks are used, which is good, cuz I'm used to SOCOM and stuff. It's just like the old Payne, with one or 2 differences (if I remember correctly, R2 was Jump last time around... This time it's X). Nothing major though that could screw up a Payne veteran though.

Overall: 9/10
Max Payne 2 is nothing short of awesome. I've only had 2 problems with it, that being the guards' death scream, and something that may be limited to my copy, where whenever there's a cutscene during gameplay, it freezes for about a second before the cutscene begins. Beyond that, it's great.

To rent or buy?
Got 50 bucks? You know where to go. Go get this game before your friends do. If you don't have 50 bucks... Well, save up. Mow lawns. Wash cars. Do something to get that money fast, cuz this game is worth every penny.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/30/03